Variable resistant chemicals and bandage embodying same



arch 13, 1934. w. F. WILHELM 1,950,957

VARIABLE RESISTANT CHEMICALS AND BANDAGE EMBODYING SAME Filed Jan. 50,1933 Wztrrzer- 'eZm Patented ar. 13, E934 VARIABLE RESISTANT CHEMICALSAND BANDAGE EMBODYING SAME Warner 1F. Wilhelm, Chicago, 111., assignorto Marshall Field & Gompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication January 1933, Serial No. 654,115

14 Claims.

This invention relates to variable resistant chemicals and surgical andother bandages, dressings and covers embodying same. Therefore, thevariable resistant chemical of this invention 5 may be used in anydesired form and, if desired may be applied to practically any sort ofbandage or cover and is particularly applicable to bandages which areused where it is necessary or desirable to provide a deodorant or toprovide medicinal agents of any sort, antiseptic or germicidal, orhaving a retardant or destructive efiect on the growth ofmicro-organisms. In one form it is particularly applicable to sanitarynapkins.

It is one object of the invention, therefore, to provide a variableresistant chemical which may be in the form of a deodorant means appliedto a bandage. It is another object to provide in a bandage agents havingthe properties of retarding or destroying micro-organisms and havinggeneral antiseptic and germicidal properties. Another object of theinvention is to provide such agents in bandages and to provide inconnection with the agents means for preventing their premature actionor reaction and to provide means whereby the action or effect of theagents is retained substantially undiminished until the time of use.Another object of the invention is, therefore, to provide in connectionwith bandages medicinal, antiseptic or germicidal agents having aretarding and destructive efiect upon the growth of micro-organisms andto provide in connection with such agents what might be termedprotective" means for preventing their premature action 0r reaction andto arrange such means so that at the time that the bandage is used, theprotecting means is so altered as to permit the action or reaction atthe time'of use.

The material or agent which is to be included with the bandage may beincluded in almost any sort of bandage and may be put into or upon thebandage in a variety of ways. In one form of the invention it isconvenient to build up a bandage of a number of layers of material.

This may be cloth. cotton or cellulose material 15 and it may or may notbe built up of a number of layers. The antiseptic and deodorant agentmay be put between the various layers or may be all gathered in a moreor less compact layer. It may be put in as the bandage is made or it maybe inserted afterwards. but in general the invention is mostadvantageously carried out by using a bandage with at least two layersand by putting the agent between or on the layers so that it has theadvantage of the mechanical protection of being enclosed between layersof material and thus it is not lost or displaced before the time of use.

Several forms of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing,wherein-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a bandage, with parts broken awayand parts in section;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken at line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section generally similar to Figure 2, showing a modifiedform;

Figure 4 is a plan view, with parts broken away and parts in section,illustrating a further modified form.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and drawing.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bandage is made up of three layers ofmaterial A. These may be of cloth or fabric of any sort; they may be ofcotton or of cellulose material, or of any material suitable for themaking of bandages.

Between each of the layers of material there may be positioned a layer Bof the medicinal agent and these layers of medicinal agent may extendthroughout the entire area of the bandage but ordinarily it issatisfactory to have the area so limited, as shown in Figure 1, to thatportion of the bandage which is most likely to come in contact with thematerial which it is desired to have the agent act upon. Where thebandage is made up of a number of layers, it is frequently convenient tosurround it with an envelope portion C. which may be of woven fabric orany other material, and which serves to hold the layers of the bandageand the bandage generally against breaking apart. It will be understoodthat as shown in Figures 1 and 2 there are but three layers of materialforming the bandage proper and two layers of the medicinal agent. Itmight be convenient to have almost any number of layers of each of theseparts of the bandage. There might be layers of cloth between which theremight not be any of the medicinal agent.

As shown in Figure 3 there are but two layers of the bandage D, D, andbetween them is a layer or quantity of the agent E. This bandage is notprovided with a cover such as the fabric covering C of the bandage shownin Figures 1 and 2.

There is shown in Figure 4 a further modified form in which the bandageis made up of two or more layers of material F, F. Between the layersthere is a quantity of the agent G and upon the outer surface of theupper layer there is also a quantity or layer of the agent G The variousforms and modifications of the bandage illustrated above serve toillustrate three or greater numbers of coatings of the sodium possibleforms of a bandage arranged to contain and support the desired medicinalagent. An almost infinite number of arrangements is possible. They maybe generally summarized by the statement that the desired medicinalagent, which will be pointed out in greater detail below, is put onto orwithin or both onto and within some form of bandage which is of suitableshape and material for the application to which it is to be put.

The medicinal agent is so manufactured or treated that while it is inthe bandage and until the actual moment of use, it is held againstpremature action or reaction. Since the bandages are ordinarily intendedfor bodily use, the protective means or coating arranged for the agentis preferably such that when the bandage is applied, either the bodyheat, moisture or secretions, or any or all together, cause such achange in the protective means that the agent itself is freed for actionor reaction and it thus becomes effective for, or is released for, useonly when the bandage which carries it is put into use.

As a concrete example of one form of the invention and one application,the invention may be applied in the manufacture of sanitary napkins.This may convoniently be made of cellulose material arranged in layersand may be provided with an enclosing fabric envelope, and it thusconforms generally to the form of bandage "shown in Figures 1 and 2.There will be arranged in one or more bodies and between two or more ofthe layers of the napkins, or upon the napkin, a quantity of themedicinal agent. This may be inserted or applied at any time during themanufacture of the completed napkin and it may be applied either dry ormoist, and it may be applied to the napkin during manufacture or afterman ufacture, when it is dry or moist.

One satisfactory In: "crial which may be used .as the medicinal agent obe applied to the napkin is chloramine. In one manner of carrying outthe invention, this is preferably reduced to a. more or less granularform, of preferably small size, and while it all need not be reduced toparticles of the same size, it is usually more convenient to treat thematerial so that the particles are approximately of the same order ofsize. A quantity of this granular chloramine is put into a revolvingdrum, or any other coating chamber,

which is formed of non-reactive material. Into this drum or chamber andupon the chloramine within it there is sprayed or otherwise applied aquantity of sodium stearate, which may be mixed with chloroform or otherdiluent mate. ial

.so that it may be conveniently sprayed. The

chloramine to be coated need not all be put into the coating chamber atonce but may be introduced gradually so that certain portions of itremain longer in the chamber than other portions and thus certainportions receive thicker stearate than other portions, and in fact aschloramine is continuously added, the particles that have been in thelongest will have the thickest coating of stearate and the thickness ofthe coating on the particles will vary substantially with the time thatthey have been in the coating chamher, the thickest coating being on theparticles first introduced and the thinnest being on those lastintroduced. After a suitable quantity of chloramine has been introducedinto the coating chamber, it is then removed and applied to the napkins,as has been said, in any suitable way, either by being put between thelayers or upon the outer surface of the bandage or otherwise,

and it may be applied to the bandage when totally dry or moist. For somepurposes it may be fas tened to the bandage by an adhesive and when thatis done the adhesive chosen is one which is harmless and whichpreferably takes no part in the reaction which occurs when theprotective coating is so altered as to permit the chloramine particlesto become active. Instead of the adhesive a binder might be used whichmight be water or some other solvent or partial solvent, which willcause the coating of the particles, or the material, generally, tosoften to the degree necessary to'cause them when drying, or otherwise,to adhere to the bandage portion. Any compound of fatty acid or anyoleagenous or sticky substance may be used. The particular method ofapplying the agent to the bandage forms no particular part of thepresent invention and the agent might be applied at any stage of themanufacture, mechanically or by hand.

I have described the preparation of a quantity of chloramine so thatsome particles will be coated more heavily than others. In the methoddescribed it will be apparent that there will be a progressive variationof thickness of coating upon the various particles so that in efiect ifthe particles are introduced into the chamber for treatment in tenincrements, the first increment will have ten coatings and the last onlyone, or the coating of the first increment will be ten times as thick asthat of the last increment, and the coatings of the other incrementswill vary progressively from the greatest to the least, depending uponthe time that the particular increment was in the treating chamber andsubjected to the action of coating. When this quantity of material isused, it will preferably be mixed so that any given fraction willcontain some particles having the greatest coating and some the least,and particles with the intermediate gradations or numbers of coatings,and thus when the material is put into use, there will be a progressiveaction. Those having the least coating will become active the first,because this coating will be destroyed, broken or so altered as topermit action more rapidly than the particles having the heaviercoating,'and there is thus set up a progressive action and when thebandage is put into use all of the particles do not become active at thesame time. When the action has first commenced by the change in thecoating of the materials having the lightest coating or the coating mosteasily broken, then action will continue progressively as the particleshaving heavier coatings or coatings less easily broken are graduallyaffected, and the final action will involve the particles having thethickest or the most difficultly broken coating. For many purposes it ispreferable to use chloramine so treated and arranged as to provide thisprogressive action. However, this is not essential and for some purposesthe chloramine arranged in the bandage is all uniformly treated and thusthe particles act more nearly at the same time and without the delayedor progressive action just referred to.

The chloramine may be coated in a variety of Ways and with a variety ofcoatings and it is not necessary to use a solution or mixture of sodiumstearate with chloroform. A.vapor of the coating material may beprepared and the chloramine particles may be dropped or otherwise movedthrough the vapor. If sodium stearate is used it may for some purposesbe applied as an aqueous mixture without the chloroformandwhen appliedas an aqueous mixture it is preferably previously placed in finesuspension. For this purpose it may be passed through a colloid mill. It

and other alkaline earth compounds may be used,

as well as other materials. Sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate aresuitable coating materials for some purposes.

While I have referred to chloramine as the active agent and while it isone of the most important, my invention is not limited to the use or thetreatment of chloramine. Chloramine is a material which, while it hasother actions, does upon suitable reaction liberate chlorine gas and myinvention therefore broadly contemplates the use of a gas-liberatingmaterial. It may be applied to any material containing a halogenradical. It may also be applied to sodium perborate, trioxymethylene andchlorthymol. I may also use a large variety of other materials, in-

cluding other gas liberating materials. I may also use a large varietyof other materials that are not gas liberating. For some purposes it isdesirable to use or to add products other than those already suggestedand these would include almost any desirable substance which might beuseful on or in the bandage. Among such other materials are aromaticproducts, perfumes and essential oils.

formation of odor producing products.

Thus far I have referred to the material which is used as being amedicinal agent or an antiseptic or germicidal agent, or a deodorant oran agent having a retarding or destructive effect upon the growth ofmicroorganisms. For purposes of brevity, in some of the claims I shallrefer i) this material simply as a reactive agent and where thatexpression is used in the claims I include an agent having any or all ofthe properties desired, mentioned or suggested.

The bandage, in whatever particular style or details it may be made,embodies some holding or supporting body and a quantity of reactivematerial or medicinal agent on or in the bandage body, and as has beenpointed out, this reactive material is provided with a protectivecoating so that it is held against reaction until actually put in use.Whether or not the bandage is in the particular form of a sanitarynapkin, or of some other type of bandage, its use is much the same. Whenit is to be used it is put in place upon the body and inuse comes incontact with body temperature and body fluids. In effect the temperatureand the fluids, and in some cases the temperature alone, so alters theprotective covering as to permit the reaction of the material whichreacts with the body fluids or other products to prevent decomposition,to prevent or retard the growth of micro-organisms and to prevent orretard the In its preferred form the bandage embodies the reactive ormedicinal agent so arranged as to produce a progressive reaction andthus it may be retained in use for an extended period and as additionalquantities of body fluids come in contact with the bandage, additionalportions of the reactive'agent will be freed for reaction so that ineffect a fresh portion of the bandage is presented to a succession .ofaccretions or deposits of body fluid for an extended period of time. Ofcourse, the bandage may be used without embodying the progressivereaction and for some purposes it is desirable to have all of thereactive agent coated in oneway so that it acts substantially at theEither this action or the progressive action maybe provided for.

In one'particular typeof agent, where the chloramine particles are usedas the active agent and where they are covered with a coating ofstearate. the body fluids dissolve or soften the coating sumciently todestroy its insulating or protecting effect and to free the chloraminefor its gasliberating action and for its other and subsequent benefitsand effects. Where other forms of active agent are used and where othercoatings are used, the effect is substantially the same. Either the bodytemperature or the body fluids or both, acting together, alter theprotective coating to such a degree that it no longer has a protectingeffect and, therefore, the desired reaction takes place.

The progressive operation of the reactive agent has been suggested andfor many purposes this is desirable. The invention, however,contemplates almost any possible action in which the reactive agent mayact all at substantially one time or it may act at almost any speedvariation so that in one case it might act at a constant speed, ineffect a certain number of particles becoming active at each timeinterval, so that for the total time involved there is a constant amountof reaction. Or the coatings and material may be so arranged that atfirst there is a substantial quantity of reaction, then for a periodlittle or none, and then more reaction. In other words, it is within thecontemplation of the invention to provide almost any possible variationof speeds of reaction.

The bandage has been spoken of as being adapted for bodily use and bythis is meant not merely human use but use upon animals.

While the bandage will frequently become effective under the influenceof the body heat, moisture or secretions, it may be made effective andthe reactive material may be freed for reaction as the result of theaction or effect of influences arising outside of and apart from thebody.

For some purposes the edges of the bandage may be compressed or fastenedtogether to prevent spilling of the agent or other material which may beplaced between the layers of the bandage. Such compressed portion isindicated in one of the accompanying figures at H. The bandage may becompressed together at this point or it may be fastened together by someadhesive material or stitched together. Thus the layers or some of themmay be fastened together in any suitable way .so that material placedbetween them cannot accidentally escape or be spilled from them. Asshown stitching has been used. This is not necessary and as stated anyform or means of arranging the bandage to prevent spilling might be usedand is within the contemplation of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination in a bandage, a quantity of particles of chemicallyactive material, and protective coatng material upon said particles,adapted to prevent its premature action, the coatings of difierentparticles differing in their degree of resistance to materials withwhich they are brought into contact. so that, at the time of use, thecoatings are affected in accordance with their varying degrees ofresistance, to free parts of the material for action at diifering timesand to provide a progressive action of the entire mass of material, anda bandage body carrying said active material.

chloramine divided into particles,

2. In combination in a bandage,

the chloramine for reaction during use is accomplished, and a bandagebody carrying said ch1oramine and forming with it a bandage.

3. In combination in a bandage, a quantity of chloramine, divided intoparticles, protective coatings of sodium stearate for the said particlesto prevent their premature reaction, the said coatings being of varyingdegrees of resistance to the materials with which they will be broughtinto contact at the time of use, whereby a progressive freeing of thechloramine for reaction during use is accomplished, and a bandage bodycarrying said chloramine and forming with it a bandage.

4. In combination in a bandage, a quantityof chloramine, divided intoparticles, protective coatings for the said particles, to prevent theirpremature reaction, the said coatings being of varying degrees ofthickness, whereby a progressive freeing of the chloramine for reactionduring use is accomplished, and a bandage body carrying said chloramineand forming with it a bandage 5. In combination in a bandage, a quantityof particles of chemically reactive material, and a protective coatingupon said particles, adapted to prevent their premature reaction, thecoatings of different particles differing in thickness, so that, at thetime of use, the coatings are affected in accordance with their varyingdegrees of thickness, to free parts of the material for reaction atdiffering times and to provide a progressive reaction of the entire massof material, and a bandage body carrying said reactive material.

6. In combination in a bandage, a quantity of chloramine, divided intoparticles; protective coatings of sodium stearate for the said particlesto prevent their premature reaction, the said coatings being of varyingdegrees of resistance to the materials with which they will be broughtinto contact at the time of use, whereby a freeing of the chloramine forreaction at a varying rate of speed during use is accomplished, and abandage body carrying said chloramine and forming with it a bandage.

7. In combination in a bandage, a quantity of chloramine, divided intoparticles, protective coatings of a compound of fatty acid for the saidparticles to prevent their premature reaction, the said coatings beingof varying degrees of resistance to the materials with which they willbe brought into contact at the time of use, whereby a freeing of thechloramine for reaction at a varying rate of speed during use isaccomplished, and a bandage body carrying said chloramine and formingwith it a bandage.

8. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of particles ofchemically active material, and

protective coating material upon said particles, adapted to prevent itspremature action, the coatings of difierent particles differing in theirdegree of resistance to materials with which they are brought intocontact, so that, at the time of use, the coatings are afiected inaccordance with their varying degree of resistance, to free parts of thematerial for action at differing times and to provide a progressiveaction of the entire mass of material.

9. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of chloramine dividedinto particles, protective coatings for the said particles to preventtheir premature reaction, the said coatings being of varying degrees ofresistance to the materials with which they will be brought into contactat the time of use, whereby a progressive freeing of the chloramine forreaction during use is accom plished.

10. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of chloramine, dividedinto particles, protective coatings of sodium stearate for the saidparticles toprevent their premature reaction, the said coatings being orvarying degrees of resistance to the materials with which they will bebrought into contact at the time of use,

whereby a progressive freeing of the chloramine for reaction during useis accomplished.

11. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of chloramine, dividedinto particles, protective coatings for the said particles, to preventtheir premature reaction, the said coatings being of varying degrees ofthickness, whereby a progressive freeing of the chloramine for reactionduring use :is accomplished.

12. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of particles ofchemically reactive material, and protective coatings upon saidparticles, adapted to prevent their premature reaction, the coatings ofdiflerent particles difiering in thickness, so that, at the time of use,the coatings are afiected in accordance with their varying degrees ofthickness, to free parts of the material for reaction at differing timesand to provide a progressive reaction of the entire mass of material.

13. A coll position of matter comprising a quantity of chloramine,divided into particles, protective coatings of sodium stearate for thesaid particles to prevent their premature reaction, the said coatingsbeing of varying degrees'of resistance to the materials with which theywill be brought into contact at the time of use, whereby a freeing ofthe chloramine for reaction at a varying rate of speed during use isaccomplished.

14. A composition of matter comprising a quantity of chloramine, dividedinto particles, protective coatings of a compound of fatty acid for thesaid particles to prevent their premature reaction, the said coatingsbeing of varying de grees of resistance'to the materials with which theywill be brought into contact at the time of use, whereby a freeing ofthe chloramine for reaction at a varying rate of speed during use isaccomplished. V

WARNER F. WILHELM.

